


Obnoxious Drinks and Adult Talks

by barricadebastard



Series: Café Diem - Coffee Shop Shenanigans [2]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Fluff, M/M, Poly Relationship, Token Cis Laf, Trans Alex, Trans John, agender hercules
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-25
Updated: 2016-12-25
Packaged: 2018-09-12 02:49:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9052258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/barricadebastard/pseuds/barricadebastard
Summary: Alex is forced to do something about his little crush on a certain Thomas Jefferson. He'd be bitter about having to confront his feelings like an adult, but how can he be when it leads to him scoring a date with one of the hottest guys on campus?((For the Secret Santa!))





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Gizmo_Martin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gizmo_Martin/gifts).



> Written for the jamilton secret Santa! im terrible at writing jamilton and i don't think I captured their dynamic too well but i tried, okay 
> 
> @ gizmo_martin, im super sorry for not making this fic a stand-alone but i honestly couldn't resist adding it to my series! there's nothing in here that requires you to read my other work in this series, but it does mean that Alex is also dating herc, John and laf. I made it ambiguous enough so that they could seem like they're in a queerplatonic relationship though

“Mon cher, for someone who claims to not care about him at all, you talk an awful lot about Thomas Jefferson.” 

Alex’s eyes narrowed, gaze shifting between Lafayette, Herc and John. When they had called him to the living room, all four of them sitting crosslegged on the carpeted floor, he had expected a talk about his unhealthy eating habits and erratic sleep schedule. And yet, the first thing out of Lafayette’s mouth had been about  _ Jefferson,  _ of all people. Alex certainly wasn’t complaining about dodging a healthy-lifestyle lecture, but nothing so far made sense and Alex  _ hated  _ being out of the loop.

“Because he’s a pretentious dick whose only satisfaction in life comes from aggravating me and flaunting his wealth,” Alex said slowly. “So?” 

It was true. Jefferson took great pride in making sure everyone knew exactly how wealthy he was, and if there was anything Alex hated more than that stupid face that spouted stupid ideas, it was his  _ confidence.  _ It was evident that he knew how attractive and smart he was, the way he would stroll into lectures in fucking  _ velvet blazers,  _ overpriced coffee in one hand and smirk firmly on his face. Although he would loathe to admit it, Alex did not have the most secure self-esteem, and although he could be… well, vivacious, to say the least, it was only because debating and getting fired up was the only way he could stop thinking about and overanalysing his insecurities. That was why he took so much satisfaction in thoroughly defeating Jefferson in all ways possible whilst in the same room as him. There was a thrill in being above someone who was considered to be at the top.

Alex could hardly stand the man, and the only times he enjoyed in Jefferson’s presence was when Alex was winning an argument. Lafayette, Herc and John  _ knew  _ this. 

Lafayette’s mouth opened and closed. He seemed lost for words, and he glanced at either side of him for support. It was John who came to his rescue.

“Just last week, you spammed my phone with texts about how Jefferson’s attractiveness wasn’t appropriate in an academic setting,” John said flatly, looking wholly unimpressed. Alex couldn’t argue, and resorted to pouting.

“You also make me screenshot  _ everything  _ he sends me on Snapchat so that you can look at his selfies,” Lafayette said. “He still gets creeped out now.”

“You screenshot every selfie on his Instagram from  _ my  _ account because you’re too stubborn to send a friend request,” Herc added. 

Alex could see where they were coming from now.

“Can’t I hate someone in peace anymore?” 

“You hate a lot of people,” Herc pointed out reasonably. Alex couldn’t even argue with their statement. “But you don’t talk about Charles Lee or George King like you talk about Jefferson.” 

“Both are also dicks,” Alex added, before stopping abruptly. He could see what they meant. He hated Lee with a passion, and had to quell the ever-rising urge to punch King’s stupid pouty face until his blood stained the billion dollar tracksuits he was always boasting about. And yet, he never felt nearly as intense around them as he did with Jefferson. He wanted to think that it was the thrill of knowing that people would normally consider Jefferson as ‘superior’ to him and that he was breaking that school of thought, but King was just as smart and even more rich (and brattier too).

“So?” John prompted him, looking hopeful.

“I had no idea I hated Jefferson that much,” Alex said. “I think it’s the smirk.” 

All three sighed, and John even buried his face in his hands. Herc looked ready to ditch the entire conversation, but Lafayette ploughed on - unfortunately. Alex knew now where this was going, and he refused to be a part of it. It had been difficult enough to shove the thoughts to the back of his mind, the last thing he wanted was to actually  _ acknowledge  _ it. 

“But have you thought about  _ why  _ he bothers you so much?” Lafayette asked, before adding, “Apart from his smirk.”  

It was Alex’s turn to sigh this time. “His obsession with purple?”

“Mon amour, be serious, please.” 

“I don’t know,” Alex muttered. He  _ did  _ know, but it was difficult to translate the thoughts swirling like a storm inside his head into words that wouldn’t wound his own pride. After all, his pride was basically all he had, and was the main driving factor to where he was now. In any other situation, he’d pass the conversation off, give some bullshit excuse and move on with his life, but it was impossible to do that when the three people he loved with all his heart were watching him with such concerned eyes. For them, maybe he could manage a blow or two to his pride. “It’s like… He’s so much better than me, you know?” 

All three looked startled - that clearly hadn’t been what they were expecting. But if that hadn’t been the purpose of this conversation, then what had they wanted to talk about? 

“Can you elaborate on that, babe?” John asked hesitantly. The way he was pausing between his words told Alex that he was carefully choosing his words. Ugh. Great. Now they were tiptoeing around him like he was some fragile glass ornament that would shatter if someone so much as breathed too heavily around it. 

“He’s smart, ya know? And yeah, King is smart too, but I’ve never actually,” he struggled with his words for a second, and honestly, what was Alexander Hamilton without words? Words were what  _ defined  _ him, what saved him in his darkest times and made him flourish further in his greatest moments, they were his main weapon. And to suddenly be unable to find the words that were usually so familiar in his mouth was, frankly, unsettling. “I’ve never actually felt threatened by him. But Jefferson makes me feel insecure. And I  _ hate  _ that.” 

The three of them looked unsure of how to reply.

“You didn’t tell us about that,” Herc said gently, brows knitted in concern. They were wearing that muscle tee that really showed off their defined, muscular arms, and honestly, at that moment, Alex  _ really  _ wanted to feel those arms around him. Maybe one day he would evaluate his need to be cuddled whilst having serious conversations, but today was not that day.

“I don’t really think about it,” Alex replied honestly. “It’s nothing new. You guys know I don’t have the best self-esteem. Even plants make me feel insecure.” 

The joke did nothing to lighten the atmosphere. Alex still found it difficult to talk about serious issues with his datemates, especially when he so desperately avoided all heartfelt conversations throughout his entire life, and the serious looks on their faces was doing nothing to make him enjoy the conversation any more. 

“Look, it’s not a big deal, okay?” he told them, and was immediately met with sceptical looks. “It’s not! I barely think about it most the time, and it doesn’t bother me all that much.” 

“We thought,” John said, glancing at the other two for support. “That you liked him. Like,  _ like- _ liked him.” 

Ah. Well. That too. 

“I mean, I’m not saying he’s ugly,” Alex admitted. Laf leaned forward, clearly excited to hear Alex confess his undying love for a man he hated with all his heart. Ha! As if that would ever happen. “He’s definitely attractive, and he’s got nice hair, I guess. But he’s still the most disgusting human being to walk this planet and he can, frankly, drown in a swamp in an undisclosed location as he contemplates all his mistakes and utterly incorrect opinions.” 

John looked taken-back. “That’s… not what we expected.” 

“This is exactly what we  _ should  _ have expected,” Laf corrected. “Mon amour, you know we won’t hate you for having a crush on him, right? You’re welcome to date him! We’re fine with it!” 

_ “You  _ might be fine with it, but I’m not,” Alex grumbled. “I don’t like him, okay?!” 

“Um, no offence, babe, but you spend an entire hour admiring his ass yesterday in the library. You gave up your  _ work  _ to admire his ass,” John pointed out. “Even if you hate him, you could at least hate-fuck him, right?” 

“...I could,” Alex reluctantly conceded. 

“Just give him a chance, sweetheart,” Herc said in such a gentle tone that Alex felt slightly bad for making a big fuss out of it. “I know you say you hate him, but when you’re being civil to each other, you guys seem to enjoy each other's’ company.” 

Alex paused, opened his mouth, closed it again, glanced away and then finally said, “Can you cuddle me?” 

Herc’s arms extended immediately, and Alex took this as an invitation to crawl into their lap, feeling safe in the arms of a larger and stronger body. There was something particularly comforting about having muscled arms wrap tightly around his own scrawny frame, which made cuddling with all three of his datemates even more satisfying. He knew that, at some point, he was going to have to develop the ability to be able to  _ talk  _ without needing a hug or two, but until then, he knew that Herc, Laf and John were willing to accommodate his needs. And that was fine. They were enough for him. He certainly didn’t need stupid Thomas Jefferson to screw up their perfect dynamic.

John shuffled closer so that his side was pressed against Herc’s arm, and rested his head on their shoulder. Laf crawled to Herc’s other side, and managed to perform some strange acrobatic trick Alex would never be capable of doing to swing his legs over both Herc and Alex to stretch all the way across to John, as he leaned his back against the couch behind them. For a moment, no words were exchanged, as all four of them took the opportunity to appreciate the casual closeness between them. Their relationship was still new, they were still working things out and getting inexplicably excited over the small moments where they could really feel the love pulsing between them like a lifeline. 

In fact, it was a little  _ too  _ comfortable. Alex was extremely tired and honestly, you couldn’t blame him for drifting off a little. Herc was soft and warm and he felt safe surrounded by three people he loved - safe enough for his eyes to flutter shut and his breathing to even out. 

What felt like seconds later, Laf was tapping him awake, peering down at him with wide, concerned eyes.

“Mon amour, you need sleep,” he told him. 

“I’m fine,” was Alex’s automatic response, even as a large yawn forced its way out of his mouth. Alex felt Herc’s chest rumble with their chuckles. 

“C’mon, you need to go to bed,” John said, with a fond smile. He stood up, before extending his hand towards Alex for him to take, but the sunlight seeping from the curtains wrapped around him like a blanket, making him glow like an ethereal being that was tempting him towards…

_ “Bed,”  _ John repeated firmly when he saw Alex glance towards his laptop. Alex pouted.

“But I just had the most amazing idea for a story!” he protested as he stood up from Herc’s lap - only after receiving a quick departing kiss - and made his way over to the bedroom with minimal grumbling. 

“And tomorrow,” Herc called over his shoulder. “You’re going to sit down with Thomas and talk to him like an adult!”

“Never!"

* * *

Jefferson was late. Of course he was. Why had Alex expected anything different? He either wasn't going to show up, or would appear an hour late and mock Alex for being so desperately pathetic that he was willing to wait that long. It was such an obvious power play, and Alex yearned to just storm out and show Jefferson that he wasn't going to sit around and wait for him all day.

But Laf had made him promise that he'd give it a shot, and Alex couldn't stand to disappoint him. Dammit. Why had he even agreed to this?

Alex tried to distract himself by gazing across the coffee shop. It was the same one he had met Herc in, and in this very building they had their first date in. Hell, Alex even had his first proper conversation with John in the queue to the same counter he was staring at. This coffee shop had managed to become a central part of their relationship, and they regularly revisited it just to respark that memory of their first date. 

It was pretty, definitely, with the woodsy charm and dark-red lighting. Quite romantic, and many of the patrons were either gooey couples exchanging loving glances over iced lattes and other fancy drinks, or rushed students trying to finish their essay at the last minute as they downed cup after cup of caffeine-loaded coffee. Honestly, Alex was usually in the latter group, but he was starting to see the appeal of the former. Speaking of patrons, several of them seemed to have picked up on his situation, and were sending him concerned looks every time he stared hopefully at the door.

Ugh. The last thing he needed now was pity.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket, noting the time and the abysmally low battery. Jefferson was now fifteen minutes late, and his phone was only a handful of a percentage away from dying. Perfect.

Just as Alex was considering giving up, the sound of a chime tinkled across the room, marking someone's entrance to the coffee shop. Despite wanting to appear stand-offish and apathetic to all the patrons that were shooting him sympathetic smiles and pitying glances, Alex looked up with hope shining in his eyes. Immediately, he caught sight of a familiar afro and that god-awful magenta blazer he had come to despise and adore in equal measure. 

Jefferson looked harried, a strange look to see upon his usually graceful and majestic features. He hurried over to where Alex was sitting, looking apologetic. 

“Sorry I'm late,” Jefferson said, sounding surprisingly sincere. “My lecture ran on longer than I expected.”

The apology alone was enough to make alarm bells blare in Alex's brain. What Jefferson said next only set him on edge even further. 

“Did you order yet?” 

Alex shook his head, shocked into silence by the sudden appearance of a Thomas Jefferson that didn't automatically sneer upon seeing Alex. Why the hell was he being nice? It was slightly scary, and definitely off-putting. Even in their most civil conversations, they had always included teasing jokes and jabs in their interactions. 

“Well, what do you want? I'll pay.”

Oh hell no. Alex wasn't going to let Jefferson flaunt his wealth in Alex's face just like he always did. How the hell had he thought that Jefferson was The return of the old Jefferson was enough to spur him into speech again. 

“This may come as something of a surprise to you, Jefferson,” he spat viciously, his features arranging into a scowl almost on instinct. “But you’re not the only person on this Earth with a wallet and I’m not so financially unstable that I can’t handle paying for a damn coffee.” 

He had expected retaliation, and was even excited at the idea of the return of the  _ old  _ Jefferson, but this Jefferson only sighed, looking defeated and weary as his shoulders slumped under an invisible weight. “Hamilton, I know you hate me, but can you at least give me a chance? I’m sorry that Gilbert forced you to come here on my behalf and I’m sorry you have to suffer my presence any more than necessary, but can’t we be civil about it?” 

Alex paused, mulling over Jefferson’s words. Something was off, though he couldn’t quite understand what. “...What do you mean ‘on my behalf’?” he asked, brow furrowed. What the hell was Jefferson referring to? Shouldn’t it have been on  _ Alex’s  _ behalf? After all, his complete inability to look away from Jefferson’ ass had been the reason Laf had organised this… intervention. Date. Whatever.

But Jefferson only looked confused. “Gilbert didn’t tell you why you’re here?” 

“Why, what was he supposed to tell me?” Alex asked suspiciously instead of stating the reason why he  _ thought  _ he was there. It seemed like the reason Alex had showed up was not quite the same as the reason Jefferson had showed up, and he’d be damned if he was going to show his hand early. 

Jefferson sighed again, looking exhausted. “Look, can we order first? Then we’ll talk and I’ll explain.” 

Alex let him do so with minimum mutinous glares, muttering something about a white chocolate mocha under his breath. Miraculously, Jefferson managed to hear his order, and made his way to the steadily growing queue at the counter to buy their drinks. Alex took the opportunity to glare at the tablecloth as though it had personally offended him. He was  _ confused,  _ he couldn’t tell what was going on, and he hated it. He hated not feeling in control. He needed the upper hand at all times, and suddenly, when he didn’t have that, he had no idea how to cope. The world turned upside-down, with his datemates encouraging him to date the man he hated, and said man he hated being nice to him. It was unnatural, and Alex felt off-kilter. 

When Jefferson returned, it was with one steaming drink and one iced one. Alex snorted derisively.

“Another one of your obnoxious sugar concoctions?” he asked, his voice lilting playfully as he bit back the harshness from his voice. It was difficult, especially when he was still expecting Jefferson to revert back to his usual manner, but he couldn’t stop thinking about Jefferson’s words. He needed to know what Jefferson meant, and if that meant getting him into a good mood then so be it. It had absolutely nothing to do with the gorgeous smirk Jefferson sent his way. That was just a perk. 

“It’s not  _ obnoxious,”  _ Jefferson argued as he sat down, pushing Alex’s own drink towards him. The movement made some of the hot drink spill over the top, the hot droplet making its way down the surface of the cup to scorch Alex’s hand, but Alex could only focus on the way Jefferson was raising that one fucking perfect eyebrow. “What’s obnoxious is the fact that you down black coffee regularly. Do you love yourself at all?”

“I love myself plenty,” Alex shot back, “I just don’t see the point in loading sugar, milk and all sorts into a coffee that is supposed to have no purpose other than to wake me up. And what did you order, if it’s not one of your obnoxious sugar concoctions?” 

“Triple Venti half-sweet non-fat caramel macchiato,” Jefferson rattled off immediately, looking smug as he took a sip.

“And that’s  _ not  _ obnoxious?” Alex asked incredulously. 

Jefferson shrugged, looking completely unapologetic. 

“Whatever,” Alex said, “What were you saying earlier? About coming on your behalf?” 

The laid back posture Jefferson had previously been hosting disappeared so quickly that Alex sat up in alarm. It wasn’t obvious to tell the difference between a relaxed Thomas Jefferson and a tense Thomas Jefferson, but Alex had been observing (read: stalking) him long enough to be able to read the minute signs that pointed to the latter now. Jefferson almost always had perfect posture, and would regularly be seen swanning around with a perfectly straight back and his head held high. However, when he tensed up, he seemed to slump slightly, and his shoulders hunched forwards. His head bowed every so slightly, and there was a clear tension in his jaw where he appeared to be grinding his teeth.

More worrying than the fact that Alex had managed to provoke such a hunted look in the man, was the fact that he could so easily recognise the signs. Did he really stare at Jefferson that much? Jesus.

“Listen,” Jefferson began, already looking tired. “I don’t hate you, okay? I know I act like I do all the time, but that’s mostly just because you hate me and it’d be kind of pathetic if I was pining after you when you hated my guts.” 

“I don’t hate your guts,” Alex said automatically, before his mind screeched to a sudden halt. “Wait, what?”

“You don’t hate me?” Jefferson asked, sounding surprised.

_ “Pining?”  _ Alex repeated, shocked. Did he, possibly, mean pining after a friendship? That was definitely a strange choice in vocabulary, but it was more likely than the alternative.

“Answer my question first,” Jefferson demanded, leaning forward. He seemed less tense, but there was an intensity in his eyes that almost made Alex want to shrink back from it. Alex could barely meet his gaze, and ended up staring at a spot between Jefferson’s eyebrows rather than make eye-contact. 

“I mean, I don’t  _ hate  _ you. You’re definitely a dick but, uh, I don’t know. You’re alright. Mostly. Apart from your stupid opinions.” 

Thomas looked… strangely relieved. “You don’t hate me. You  _ don’t  _ hate me. And all this time…” 

Great. Now Alex was even more confused. “What do you mean?” 

Thomas didn’t answer, and instead took a long sip from his drink. Alex had to rip his gaze away from that  _ one  _ droplet of Venti half-fat blah-blah whatever macchiato that lingered on his bottom lip, drawing the smaller man’s attention to Jefferson’s plump lips. Shit. By the time Alex managed to rip his gaze away, it was obvious that the magenta-clad man had already noticed the fact that he was  _ staring at his enemy’s lips.  _

Well, ‘enemy’ was a bit of a strong word, especially when Jefferson seemed so goddamn relieved at the fact that Alex didn’t completely despise him. They had never been enemies, not really, just bitter rivals that butted heads at every opportunity whilst in an academic setting and felt that it was necessary to continue their rivalry outside this setting too. Jefferson was smart, and Alex could easily admit that. He was one of the only people who could really stimulate Alex, who could really challenge him. Alex  _ loved  _ that. It meant he was never bored. 

But it wasn’t just his brain that intrigued Alex.

“Hey, Jefferson?”

“Call me Thomas,” was his reply, and this only further propelled Alex’s determination.

“Well, Thomas, can I have the honour of taking you out on a date?” 

Although Thomas said nothing, the beaming smile that seemed to light up the room was answer enough.

**Author's Note:**

> ehhh. i tried. sorry, gizmo_martin 
> 
> tumblr is [hhhercules-mulligan](http://www.hhhercules-mulligan.tumblr.com)


End file.
